Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 52, No. 358, pp. 993-1002,
May 1, 2001
© 2001 Oxford University Press
Original Papers |
Leaf habit influences nitrogen remobilization in Vaccinium species
1 Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB 15 8QH, UK
2 Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB23 3UU, UK
3 UA Bioclimatologie-PIAF, INRA, 234 Avenue du Brézet, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
The effect of N supply on plant growth and leaf demography of a deciduous and an evergreen Ericaceae was studied in relation to their internal cycling of N. Mature ramets of Vaccinium myrtillus (deciduous) and Vaccinium vitis-idaea (evergreen) were established in sand culture for 1 year with an adequate supply of a balanced nutrient solution. During one growing season, the plants were given two levels of N supply enriched with 15N and eight sequential destructive harvests were taken. Recovery of unlabelled N in the new shoot was used to determine the remobilization of N from storage. Initially, growth was unaffected by N supply. After May, High N enhanced growth for both species but the nature of their growth response differed. For both species, new shoot biomass and leaf number increased but root biomass production was affected for V. myrtillus only. Whole plant biomass production was similar for both species under High N, but was greater for V. vitis-idaea under Low N. The amount of N remobilized to support new shoot growth was similar for the two species and was independent of N current supply. N was remobilized predominantly from previous year leaves for V. vitis-idaea and from previous year stems and roots for V. myrtillus. The contribution of remobilization to new shoot N was similar for the two species, but depended on N supply. Remobilization was faster in V. myrtillus, but lasted longer in V. vitis-idaea. The results are discussed in relation to species growth in N-poor environments, focusing on the extent to which species-differences in the dynamic of N remobilization and growth may explain their adaptation to constant and/or changeable N supply.
Key words: Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, deciduous, evergreen, heathlands, internal cycling of nitrogen.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. U. Ueda, E. Mizumachi, and N. Tokuchi Allocation of nitrogen within the crown during leaf expansion in Quercus serrata saplings Tree Physiol, July 1, 2009; 29(7): 913 - 919. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|